Niger Delta
CSOs Demand Probe Of Ex-Governor In C’River
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of Accountability and Good Governance, has called for the probe of the immediate past Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade.
The coalition made the call in a statement jointly signed by its Coordinator, Agaba Vincent, and Secretary, Odey Odey on Friday in Calabar.
The duo called on the State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, to resist moves to accord the immediate past governor any public recognition, but rather support a full probe of his administration.
They noted that a civic reception for the former governor, would amount to rewarding poor performance and showing insensitivity to residents still suffering the impact of abandoned projects.
According to them, the immediate past governor should face a comprehensive probe, not a civic reception.
“Cross Riverians are still paying the price for uncompleted and non-functional projects that consumed enormous public funds”, they noted.
The duo also noted that several projects initiated by the former administration did not deliver value to the state and therefore required accountability.
They listed a number of high-profile initiatives that remained incomplete or inactive in spite of substantial mobilisation of funds.
The listed projects include a 275km Superhighway, the Bakassi Deep Seaport, Calapharm Pharmaceutical Factory, the Obudu Cargo Airport, the Rice City and the Rice Seedlings Factory.
Others were the Coconut Refinery, Banana Plantation and Processing Plant, the Cocoa Processing Factory in Ikom, and the Calachika Chicken Processing Plant.
“A foreign-affiliated university in Obudu, multiple Independent Power Plant schemes, as well as the Ukelle Road and the Boki–Obudu Road projects were also part of these projects,” Vincent and Odey said.
They noted that some of the projects were operated briefly with rented equipment before shutting down.
The duo also alleged that major road contracts were awarded to proxy companies and later abandoned, leaving the roads impassable thereby crippling commerce and transportation across affected communities.
They added that many of the projects were heavily promoted through media publicity and political fanfare, creating an impression of industrial advancement that had not translated into measurable economic benefit for residents
“This is not about politics. It is about justice and accountability.
“If the former governor believes his hands are clean, then a probe should not worry him. He should be willing to clear his name”, they stressed.